NFL Player News

Only one week after leading his team in receiving, Rodgers touched the ball three times and failed to record a single catch against the Giants. Apologize to your league for wasting their time if you spent any amount of FAAB on him.

Kenny Pickett will make his first start of the year versus Dallas. Hurts is dealing with a concussion he suffered in the first quarter of Philly’s Week 16 loss to the Commanders. He should be back for the Eagles’ regular season finale versus the Giants. Even with Pickett under center, A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith remain must-start players for the final week of the fantasy season.

Repeated hamstring strains continue to plague the elite cornerback. It is an unfortunate outcome in a week where two tentatively playoff-bound teams square off. Hopefully, Lattimore can get right for a potential playoff run.

Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the reworked deal indicates that Watson will remain with the Browns in 2025. Rapoport noted that the move was done for cap purposes after his deal is up. It’s not entirely clear how the money was shifted around, but Watson’s five-year, $230 million contract is fully guaranteed. The Browns will have to face the music on his deal at some point. Prior to the restructuring, Cleveland would have been hit with a dead cap charge well over $100 million if they cut him in the offseason. Even if he remains on the roster next year, Watson won’t return as the unquestioned starter. Expect the Browns to bring in competition for him either via free agency or the draft.

Boyd’s multi-week foot injury is evidently failing to improve. He may end up suiting up this week but Boyd was failing to meaningfully produce even when healthy earlier this season. He does not need to be started, if active.

Dobbins will be activated from injured reserve after being upgraded to a full participant on Thursday. The team listed him as questionable for Week 17, though that appears to have been mostly a formality. With Gus Edwards out this week, Dobbins should return to a sizable role. Facing a beatable New England run defense, Dobbins is back in the RB2 ranks to close the year.

Pollard was out-touched 13-to-10 by Tyjae Spears while playing through a practice-less questionable tag last week. The 3-12 Titans have been eliminated from playoff contention and Pollard is clearly banged-up. Fantasy managers can no longer expect him to handle gaudy sums on a weekly basis. Pollard is an unreliable RB2 in an albeit decent matchup.

Watson did not practice this week, though Matt LaFleur said the door is still open for him to suit up on Sunday. That, however, looks like a long-shot heading into the weekend. Assuming Watson is out, Dontayvion Wicks will return to the starting rotation versus the Vikings. Wicks will be a boom/bust WR4 for Week 17.

Strange remained limited through the Jaguars’ first two practices but practiced in full on Friday. The Jaguars prudently take a conservative approach to injuries by limiting their skill position players’ weekly workloads. Strange remains a volatile TE1 against the Titans.

Beat reporter Rob Demovsky observed Watson sporting cleats on Friday but Watson apparently did not even participate in the Packers’ pre-practice stretching session. Fantasy managers should expect Watson to again receive a DNP designation. He is unlikely to play although Demovsky also reports that “Matt LaFleur said the door is ‘still open’ for Christian Watson to play Sunday.” Should Watson miss the game, his absence would slightly elevating the target-earning potential for all featured Packers pass catchers.

Linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. is listed as questionable. Smith missed Week 16 with the foot issue but is back in action for Minnesota’s NFC North showdown with the Packers. The veteran safety has two interceptions and nine pass breakups this year.